Defence Secretary’s removal challenged

LAHORE – A petition has been filed before Lahore High Court challenging the removal of Lt Col (r) Khalid Naeem Lodhi from office of secretary defence.Petitioner-lawyer Muhammad Azhar Siddique moved this petition stating that prime minister sacked Mr Lodhi on the plea that the secretary had acted illegally and has violated the business rules, thereby he had liable for misconduct so he was removed.

The removal of Mr Lodhi was based on malafidies and an attempt to create confrontation between the institutions as both the matters Memo-Gate Scandal and as well as NRO case the integrity, sovereignty of the country, the petition states.

Petitioner stated that Lodhi was removed without giving any show cause notice which is mandatory before any action against any government employee. He stated that the action was against the principles of natural justice and an attempt to play with the sovereignty and integrity of my country. The ruling party, PPP, took the impugned action to create hurdles for execution of any purposed orders by the Supreme Court. He requested to set aside dismissal order of Khalid Naeem Lodhi and restrain Nargis Sethi from discharging the duties of defence secretary.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court on Thursday admitted for regular hearing a petition seeking directions to declare all the former dictators including four ex-army chiefs as traitors for abrogating the Constitution of Pakistan.Chief Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed will hear the petition on Friday (today).

“Politicians also played role of second-swindler to dictators to allow them to prolong their regime,” the petitioner-lawyer maintained. Mr Ghazi prayed to declare all violators of Constitution as traitors and their accomplice politicians be held disqualified permanently for any public office. He further requested that Musharraf had formed a political party (APLM) and if it was already registered, its registration should be set aside. And if it was not registered so far, chief election commissioner should be barred from registering Musharraf’s party.